CHAP. xv. Endeavour to Oblige Him. 219 



i61b. fish preferred or needed, I think needed, to fumble over a 

 fish bait only 3! inches long, tail included, I should have liked to 

 try him with something still smaller, so as to test the question whether 

 it was the size of the bait that necessitated his attempting it in that 

 fashion, or whether it was his habit of feeding equally when the 

 bait was so small that he could easily take it in at a mouthful if he 

 wished. 



It would seem at first sight that to picket a very small live bait on 

 the bottom, in the manner described for Mahseer, would be successful. 

 But I hardly think it would if you left it to look after itself, for these 

 fish do not seem to hook themselves by closing their mouth roughly on 

 your bait, but nibble at it and need that you should be handling your 

 rod ready to strike. 



And what is this nibbling? May be it is the effort of a small- 

 mouthed fish to turn the prey in its mouth so as to be able to swallow 

 it head foremost. If so, perhaps a very small gorge hook, small enough 

 for a minnow bait, worked about the bottom, and even left to itself, if 

 they will take a dead bait, would be effective. If you have not such a 

 gorge hook at hand you can make a fair substitute out of a small eel 

 hook, or a single Limerick or treble, on gut for preference, weighted 

 and baited after the manner of gorge hooks with a baiting needle 

 inserted at the mouth and brought out at the tail, drawing the gut 

 after it till the hook is home to the mouth ; or you can use a dip 

 minnow. 



But whether or not these suggestions will further advantage you, 

 this much we know that you will greatly increase your sport with these 

 fish by having regard to the lessons learnt from the size and situation 

 of the mouth. 



Their habit of rolling over and over on the surface is remarkable. 

 Labeo have the same habit, except that with them you see only the 

 boil, while with the Seetul the whole glistening side, is displayed 

 flashing in the sunlight. I fancy it means jubilation. With Labeo it 

 always indicates that they are feeding, and it is strange that both should 

 come to the surface, when it is at the bottom that they are feeding. I 

 suppose it is not the hungry ones, but those intoxicated with good 

 feeding, like a colt too full of beans, that fling themselves about. I 

 have known even a human with just a touch of the same feelings, fling 

 himself into an easy-chair as he described his good dinner with a half 



